General Election 2010: only one in five 'vote to make a difference'

Only one fifth of the electorate will go to the polls spurred by the chance to
make a difference, a study revealed.

Voting at the polling station at the Market Hall in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, as the General Election got underway across the UKPhoto: PA

2:47AM BST 06 May 2010

While more than 44 million people are registered to vote, the main motivation is a sense of duty - with 48 per cent of participants voting for this reason, the YouGov survey found.

But despite concerted efforts over the years to counter voter apathy, only 37 per cent of those questioned said ''nothing at all'' would stop them from marking a ballot paper.

The study, carried out for the independent elections watchdog, The Electoral Commission, found 27 per cent of adults aged 18 and over were exercising their right to vote because it was ''a chance to have their say''.

Only 22 per cent said they were motivated by the opportunity to ''make a difference''.

Meanwhile, when it came to potential disincentives, around a quarter of those questioned cited ''being unwell'' as the most likely deterrent.